Izu and Hawaii
One of the things I noticed when I first moved to Izu is that people are nuts about anything Hawaiian. While the same can be said about Japanese people in general, I didn’t see as many expressions of Hawaii love when I lived in Tokyo.
Izu Culture
All About Mt. Omuro
Local geologists describe Mt. Ōmuro as a scoria cone volcano – aka a cinder cone. “Cinder cones are the most common type of volcano in the world. They are small in comparison to the other types of volcanoes. In fact, they’re only tens to hundreds of meters in size. But at the same time, they’re very steep typically with a bowl-shaped crater at the summit.”
New Year’s Fireworks 2022
Japanese people love fireworks, and Japan has many famous fireworks festivals that attract thousands of spectators.
Wander a little off the beaten track in Japan, and you will discover local fireworks events with a real hometown character.
New year’s eve fireworks are a good opportunity to experience this type of small town cultural event.
One major difference from bigger events, is how an MC announces local sponsors before each successive round of fireworks.
The Giant Snake of Mt. Omuro
At the bottom of the west slope of Mt. Ōmuro is a large, open pit. On the edge of the pit is a cave that goes deep into the volcano, probably a collapsed lava tube. Legend has it that a daija (giant snake) lived in this cave and frequently terrorized the villagers.